


Afterlife

by Stormchild



Category: Young Justice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 18:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2784059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormchild/pseuds/Stormchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy has a hard time sleeping after his kidnapping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afterlife

Ollie thinks he should be used to it by now. It’s not as often as it was. Only three or four times a week, now, instead of every night.

That doesn’t stop him from bolting upright, chest tightening, fingers grasping for anything he could use as a weapon. He doesn’t think, only runs down the hall to Roy’s room.

Roy gasps for breath. His hand covers the long scar that runs down his side through his shirt.

Ollie takes his time moving in. He doesn’t want to startle Roy, to make him any more afraid than he already is. Pretending to ignore the wet spot on the sheets, Ollie sits next to him. He pretends his heart doesn’t break with every sniffle. This is his fault. He should have kept a closer eye on Roy, made sure he didn’t go on that goddamn stake-out.

Blue eyes that seem so much older and so much younger than fifteen at the same time look up at him. Ollie wipes the tears away.

"Hey, kiddo. Bad dream?"

Roy manages a whine and hiccups. It hurts his chest.

Ollie hands Roy a tissue and rubs his back. He doesn’t know what else to do. Sure, he’s no stranger to PTSD. None of the Leaguers are. But this is different. They can handle it. Roy’s barely a teenager. The kid slept in Ollie’s bed with the light on for two weeks after Ollie made the mistake of letting him watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

And now he’s having nightmares all over again. Except this time they’re real. It isn’t just a movie that won’t leave him alone anymore.

"Why don’t you go take a shower? It’ll help you relax," Ollie suggests.

It’ll also give him a chance to stick the sheets in the washing machine.

"Come on. Get up. I’ll make you hot chocolate."

Roy gets up, grudgingly. He does need a shower, though. It’s embarrassing. He appreciates that Ollie pretends not to notice.

The shower feels nice. It’s warm, it helps his muscles relax. He doesn’t get out until it starts to run cold. There’s clean clothes by the sink. He hadn’t heard Ollie come in but he’s too exhausted to think about it.

Ollie hears Roy shuffling down the stairs, feet bare. The TV turns on. He thinks it’s probably cartoons. Two mugs of hot chocolate in hand, he moves to the living room. It’s an old Looney Tunes tape playing on the TV. Roy must have watched it a million times by now.

"Here you go."

Roy takes the mug in his hands. He brings it to his lips, but it’s too hot to drink. Something Porky Pig says makes his lips twitch up into the closest thing to a smile Ollie’s seen in a while.

Ollie wraps an arm around Roy’s shoulders, and Roy leans into him. They watch in silence for a few minutes.

"Ollie?"

The small voice almost makes him jump.

"What’s up?"

“‘re you ‘placing me w’Dinah?”

"What? Why would you think that?"

“‘Cause y’don’ take me on patrol ‘nymore.”

Ollie kisses the top of Roy’s head.

"It’s nothing like that. She’s a pretty lady. Granted, you’re not a pretty lady. But there’s a lot of conversations you can’t have with a pretty lady."

"Like what?"

"Like which lady is prettier."

"Wonder Woman’s the prettiest," Roy mumbles.

Ollie laughs. He might disagree, but he isn’t going to argue. To each their own, he thinks. He wishes Roy would stop getting so pouty whenever she visits. But Roy’s still dealing with a lot. Neither of them blames him.

Roy yawns and rests his head on Ollie’s shoulder. He sips at his hot chocolate, more than taking his time. The idea of going back to sleep makes his stomach hurt. He’s in no rush, and neither is Ollie.

When Roy’s done with his hot chocolate, Ollie puts the mug on the coffee table. By the time he leans back into the couch, Roy is already fast asleep. He doesn’t want to leave the kid alone. Not after another nightmare. It’s nothing short of a miracle that he even managed to get back to sleep. The last thing Ollie wants is for him to wake up again. So he pulls the blanket up around Roy, and pulls him in close.

Ollie knows how uncomfortable he’s going to be in the morning. Sleeping on the couch isn’t something he’s been able to get away with in a while. But carrying Roy upstairs might wake her up. He’d suck it up.

As long as Roy gets some decent sleep, he’s happy.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at mechanicalpoet.tumblr.com.


End file.
